Cataract Surgery this fall...
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Cataract Surgery this fall...
The week before I started having symptoms of LC, I was evaluated by an Ophthalmologist for cataracts and was recommended to have surgery which is scheduled for October. I have a call into their office but suspect that the Admin. Asst. may be on vacation so I may not get a call back until next week. I am wondering if anyone knows if they will no want me to be continuing with Budesonide. I have been taking 6 mg/day since the end of June and was planning to drop to 3 mg in a few weeks. My GI is pretty much letting me do what I want with it so after reading Microscopic Colitis and posts on this board, I was planning on tapering off slowly with the hope that I could come off of it around the first of the year. Has anyone had to have cataract surgery while on Budesonide? I'd be interested in hearing about your experiences. Thank-you!
Pam,
Having just had two macular hole surgeries in the last 5 months, I would say that you might want to wean yourself off (so you don't have to stop cold turkey). I was unable to take ANYTHING for five days before both surgeries (that included vitamins and everything). Or you could wean it down to one every 4-5 days and then pick back up after the surgery. That's just my opinion, but I know I would not have been allowed to continue to take it.
Having just had two macular hole surgeries in the last 5 months, I would say that you might want to wean yourself off (so you don't have to stop cold turkey). I was unable to take ANYTHING for five days before both surgeries (that included vitamins and everything). Or you could wean it down to one every 4-5 days and then pick back up after the surgery. That's just my opinion, but I know I would not have been allowed to continue to take it.
Jari
Diagnosed with Collagenous Colitis, June 29th, 2015
Gluten free, Dairy free, and Soy free since July 3rd, 2015
Diagnosed with Collagenous Colitis, June 29th, 2015
Gluten free, Dairy free, and Soy free since July 3rd, 2015
Jari, Thank you for sharing your experiences. I have called the Practice Coordinator twice and am waiting for a call back ~ maybe she's on vacation. If I need to get off Budesonide, I think I'll push back the surgery until after the holidays. I appreciate your feedback and hope your surgeries were successful!
Pam
Pam
Pam,
I'm taking very little budesonide and I will be having my second cataract surgery tomorrow, October 30, they said nothing about me stopping it prior to surgery; in fact, I had to educate them about the drug because they thought it was an inhaler for asthma. After my first surgery two weeks ago, I had 20/30 vision and a week later I had 20/20 vision out of the eye. I'm actually ahead of schedule so if budesonide interfered it actually helped! Tylenol is the only drug they allow for pain.
I hope you haven't postponed your surgery too far out because you're going to love being able to see again. I was so nervous with the first eye but it was so easy and now I'm looking forward to tomorrow.
I'm taking very little budesonide and I will be having my second cataract surgery tomorrow, October 30, they said nothing about me stopping it prior to surgery; in fact, I had to educate them about the drug because they thought it was an inhaler for asthma. After my first surgery two weeks ago, I had 20/30 vision and a week later I had 20/20 vision out of the eye. I'm actually ahead of schedule so if budesonide interfered it actually helped! Tylenol is the only drug they allow for pain.
I hope you haven't postponed your surgery too far out because you're going to love being able to see again. I was so nervous with the first eye but it was so easy and now I'm looking forward to tomorrow.
Diana
The main vision/eye issue with budesonide is that corticosteroids are a well-documented cause of:
1. Cataracts
2. Retarded healing of any trauma, including surgery
That said, it shouldn't be a major consideration, just a minor concern. And we're all different in our response to corticosteroids.
Tex
1. Cataracts
2. Retarded healing of any trauma, including surgery
That said, it shouldn't be a major consideration, just a minor concern. And we're all different in our response to corticosteroids.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Diana,
I’m so happy for you that your surgery went so well ~ thank you for sharing your experiences with me!
I have pushed the surgery off but not because of Budesonide. The doctor I went to was highly recommended and featured on a list of best docs in the area. He was well regarded for his skill and compassionate manner with patients. When I went for my evaluation, he spent about 5 minutes total with me and told me(rather brusquely) that my eyesight could be worse after the surgery as I am very near sighted and my mom had a detached cornea after her surgery. Then I was sent out with a nice technician who took my measurements but she honestly didn’t seem confident with the machines. On one of the machines, she couldn’t line it up correctly on my eye and had to get help from another tech. After she finished with that measurement the machine needed to be lined up on my left eye but she didn’t get the other tech to help. I’m not very forward and felt uneasy but didn’t say anything.
So, I went back to my local optometrist and got a new pair of glasses and new prescription for my contact lenses. I see my PCP in Feb and am planning on getting another referral to a different doc. I’m so happy to hear that your surgery went so well!!!
You’re an inspiration for me to go forward with it next year!!
~ Pam
I’m so happy for you that your surgery went so well ~ thank you for sharing your experiences with me!
I have pushed the surgery off but not because of Budesonide. The doctor I went to was highly recommended and featured on a list of best docs in the area. He was well regarded for his skill and compassionate manner with patients. When I went for my evaluation, he spent about 5 minutes total with me and told me(rather brusquely) that my eyesight could be worse after the surgery as I am very near sighted and my mom had a detached cornea after her surgery. Then I was sent out with a nice technician who took my measurements but she honestly didn’t seem confident with the machines. On one of the machines, she couldn’t line it up correctly on my eye and had to get help from another tech. After she finished with that measurement the machine needed to be lined up on my left eye but she didn’t get the other tech to help. I’m not very forward and felt uneasy but didn’t say anything.
So, I went back to my local optometrist and got a new pair of glasses and new prescription for my contact lenses. I see my PCP in Feb and am planning on getting another referral to a different doc. I’m so happy to hear that your surgery went so well!!!
You’re an inspiration for me to go forward with it next year!!
~ Pam
Diana,
The budesonide might have slowed down the healing, but if it did, it was probably such an insignificant amount that you couldn't detect it. Some medical professionals love to try to make mountains out of molehills.
About ten years ago I broke an arm. The doc in the ER noticed the cigars in my shirt pocket (I used to smoke a few cigars every day) and he immediately told me that smoking would slow down the healing of my arm. My observations were like yours, if cigar smoking slowed down my recovery, it couldn't have been more than about ten minutes because they took the cast off two weeks ahead of schedule.
Tex
The budesonide might have slowed down the healing, but if it did, it was probably such an insignificant amount that you couldn't detect it. Some medical professionals love to try to make mountains out of molehills.
About ten years ago I broke an arm. The doc in the ER noticed the cigars in my shirt pocket (I used to smoke a few cigars every day) and he immediately told me that smoking would slow down the healing of my arm. My observations were like yours, if cigar smoking slowed down my recovery, it couldn't have been more than about ten minutes because they took the cast off two weeks ahead of schedule.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
The other thing is that the doctor gave me eye drops to use 4x per day for the first week, 3x per day for 3 days, 2x per day for 2 days and once per day there after for about a month. He did say that if there was any discomfort to go ahead and increase the drops as needed and conversely, stop using the drops if I had a bad reaction. The drops have an antibiotic and a steroid to slow the healing and prevent inflammation. So, I figured what little budesonide gets out of my gut isn't going to hurt anything.
Pam - I think I would have done the same had I been you. I've been wearing glasses since I was 8 years-old and I'm really picky about my eye care. I lucked out with this team that I have, they are really, really good. The downside is that they look to be about my age or older so I hope they aren't planning on retiring anytime soon.
Pam - I think I would have done the same had I been you. I've been wearing glasses since I was 8 years-old and I'm really picky about my eye care. I lucked out with this team that I have, they are really, really good. The downside is that they look to be about my age or older so I hope they aren't planning on retiring anytime soon.
Diana